This is simply a beautiful game, and it's provided more than a few moments where I completely forgot where the hell I was supposed to be going while riding over golden hills at sunset or through the desert in the middle of a nighttime lightning storm. It doesn't quite convey the loneliness of the real empty spaces, but does compress the essence of all the varieties of land and weather native to those parts into a few hundred miles ride.

This is simply a beautiful game, and it's provided more than a few moments where I completely forgot where the hell I was supposed to be going while riding over golden hills at sunset or through the desert in the middle of a nighttime lightning storm. It doesn't quite convey the loneliness of the real empty spaces, but does compress the essence of all the varieties of land and weather native to those parts into a few hundred miles ride.

As someone who was only a light Trauma Center player, I was happy to play a follow-up that actually kept me playing all the way to the end without hating myself.

By expertly blurring the line between arcade racing and popcorn action flicks, Black Rock has not only further established itself as one of the top racing studios in the game, but also created arguably the most intense driving experience of this console generation.

By expertly blurring the line between arcade racing and popcorn action flicks, Black Rock has not only further established itself as one of the top racing studios in the game, but also created arguably the most intense driving experience of this console generation.

It's a fantastic installment for newcomers to the Prince of Persia series, but those who've been Persia fans since Sands of Time may find The Forgotten Sands mildly forgettable.

It's a fantastic installment for newcomers to the Prince of Persia series, but those who've been Persia fans since Sands of Time may find The Forgotten Sands mildly forgettable.

At its heart, the game's mechanics have a lot of potential, and at their best remind me of puzzle-platforming greats like Klonoa. But in overestimating what the Wiimote can do, developer Ubisoft has made a game that eventually collapses under its own weight.

For all its competence, there's no real hook for anyone who doesn't remember the original Rocket Knight game. It appeals mainly to nostalgia for the way platformers used to be. Although it has a lovely next-gen presentation with the hi-res, 3D graphics engine, this is very much two-or-three-gens-ago gameplay.

For all its competence, there's no real hook for anyone who doesn't remember the original Rocket Knight game. It appeals mainly to nostalgia for the way platformers used to be. Although it has a lovely next-gen presentation with the hi-res, 3D graphics engine, this is very much two-or-three-gens-ago gameplay.

Lost Planet's sophomore effort attempts to improve on past faults while shifting direction into an entirely new territory, but the overall feeling is muted. The game can be an enjoyable, fun adventure, but only if you're willing to share the experience with friends (or strangers).

This latest chapter improves on virtually every aspect of its near-flawless fundamentals, while delivering more modes, missions, and multiplayer components, proving to fans that its days of resting on its laurels aren't here quite yet.

Between the consistent improvement of the game's core concepts, and the Black Box's encouraged experimentation, Skate remains in a genre all on its own, but only time will tell if continued re-iteration will cause this still fresh series to stagnate.

To their credit, Atlus seems to acknowledge 3DDGH as the lightweight diversion it is, pricing the game well below the standard for a PlayStation 3 title and bundling a bunch of Japan's bonus DLC content onto the disc to boot.

Lost Planet's sophomore effort attempts to improve on past faults while shifting direction into an entirely new territory, but the overall feeling is muted. The game can be an enjoyable, fun adventure, but only if you're willing to share the experience with friends (or strangers).

As a basic XBLA port at half the price, RayStorm might have made for a fun novelty. But it's frankly bewildering that Taito is charging $15 for an extremely marginal upgrade to a game that we played some 13 years ago.

Zeno Clash remains the same gorgeous, grotesque, unique experience it was on PC, and a game well worth its $15 price tag on Live. If you've already played the thing on PC, well, you could probably skip this edition, but anyone new to this strange new world is in for a treat.

Sega Studios San Francisco's final game, Iron Man 2, based on this summer's movie, combines the worst pitfalls of both genres, leaving me with one simple conclusion: Iron Man 2 the videogame is not for anybody.

Sega Studios San Francisco's final game, Iron Man 2, based on this summer's movie, combines the worst pitfalls of both genres, leaving me with one simple conclusion: Iron Man 2 the videogame is not for anybody.

While multiplayer does have its flaws, it's got a lot more strengths than weaknesses, and, like the single-player, offers a highly entertaining way to kill some time while waiting for your girlfriend to get back from Jenny Craig.

With hundreds of puzzles, even more available for download over wi-fi, and an editor to make and share your own, Picross 3D is just too clever for a DS puzzle game fan to pass up.

Tecmo Bowl Throwback is exactly what it claims to be, and it freshens up the classic version of the game without completely changing it (read: ruining it). Publishers working on remakes of older titles would be well-served in taking a page out of Tecmo's book in keeping the changes minimal and the nostaligia-factor high.

My issues are that this game is so damn generic, shallow, and content with being nothing special, it surprises me that it asks you to pay full price at the door.

My issues are that this game is so damn generic, shallow, and content with being nothing special, it surprises me that it asks you to pay full price at the door.

I'm just not convinced that this grab bag of half-baked ideas and gratuitous filler makes for a great videogame. And I learned something about myself, as well: It takes a lot more than sassy books and hermaphrodites to keep my interest these days.

I'm just not convinced that this grab bag of half-baked ideas and gratuitous filler makes for a great videogame. And I learned something about myself, as well: It takes a lot more than sassy books and hermaphrodites to keep my interest these days.

SSF4's new characters feel strong, detailed, and more importantly, convincingly robust.

Fortunately, SSF4's new characters feel strong, detailed, and more importantly, convincingly robust.